When it comes to the secrets to success whether in the corporate world or in fitness passion, consistency, and determination are key.
You have to put in some sweat and hard work if you want a successful outcome. Shirley Mitrou is well versed in this in both her career and her journey to a healthy lifestyle. As the head of public service delivery for a large international IT company, her job is busy and demanding, but that’s when you have to put your head down and persevere. “In the corporate world, you need to be committed when things are tough when you are faced with problems because of course, they happen all the time. You need to be able to take a step back, define what success looks like, think about the options to get there, and then put the plan in place to achieve it,” she says. 
She compares it to the gym. You need to define what success looks like, consider the challenges you may encounter, and plan for them to ensure you are successful. “These are all things you have to think about in advance in both scenarios if you want to be successful,” says the 50-year-old, who since starting her fitness journey four years ago has since become a certified weight trainer. 
And much like how you need to surround yourself with a supportive team at the office or at home, the same goes for working on your fitness. For Shirley, that includes her three adult daughters and grandson, her close immediate family, and her best friend. “I need to train at times when others don’t really want to due to my long work hours, but my best friend knows the commitment in diet and workouts that are required to be successful in the types of competitions I have done as she has competed before,” says Shirley. And, of course, getting some expert help is always a good idea, too, whether professional development courses for work or a personal trainer at the gym. “My coach guides me with my diet and workout program and I always follow his guidance,” she adds.
Ultimately, achieving success comes down to using the same diligent approach when dealing with whatever life throws at you that will help you reach your goals. “There’s only one ‘version’ of me—how I show up in the office is how I show up in the gym,” says Shirley. “Give it your all, impact those around you, and leave people better than when you found them— that’s success to me. Help others to see that whatever their goals are, no matter what their age, they can be achieved.”
Soon enough, you’ll find that this approach to life will create a cycle of success with all of the facets of your life feeding off of the other. For Shirley, she says that to achieve her goals in the gym she needs to be tenacious, positive, hard-working, and committed. “That’s what it takes in the office as well. The training definitely helps me manage my stress in a positive way so I truly believe it helps the ‘corporate exec’ version of me to be successful, too.”
3 SECRETS TO SUCCESS
There’s a lot that we can draw from Shirley Mitrou’s road to success.
1. Working hard will snowball into better habits in all respects of your life.
“Being used to hard work [at my job], I continued to set goals for myself with my workouts and saw changes on the outside fairly quickly because of course I was also eating better and learning more about nutrition.”
2. You are the one in control.
“I’ve learned that it has to be my passion, my commitment, and my will to succeed and be my best that had to drive me forward every day. Others can encourage and hold you accountable but you need to take responsibility for your motivation.” 
3. Make yourself a priority and don’t be too hard on yourself.
“It can be hard to fit in a workout some days, I get that; I look at my schedule most days and think it will be impossible, but in reality, achieving the rest of my day is impossible if I don’t make me and my workouts a priority. And the rare occasion that I just can’t exercise, well, then I don’t beat myself up, I just make sure it happens tomorrow. I tell myself ‘Hey Shirley, you love your body, you are blessed to have a body that helps you move and be strong so reward it with gratitude by a good workout.’ That attitude of gratitude goes a long way for me.”.
Photos By CHRIS V. LINTON Follow (@CHRISVLINTON)
